Committees

Embajadores

Chair Christopher Morales – osomayor64123@yahoo.com

The Embajadores (Ambassadors) Club is continually looking for ways to develop programs and benefits for our members as well as discovering opportunities to recruit new members. This group is vital to our organization and needs the assistance of many people. If one of your expectations of this organization is to meet people and to network, then this is the committee to join. This committee meets once a month.

International

Chair Gabriela Arslanoglu – gabriela@gabrielainternational.com

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has made international trade one of its top priorities for continuous growth. Due to growth in international trade and interest by the Kansas City metropolitan area and the State of Kansas and Missouri, the Hispanic Chamber has formed an International Committee representing a varied cultural background of Latin American countries and over 50 years of combined Latin America trade experience. The goal of this committee is to keep members aware of opportunities in international and help them network with businesses outside of the United States. Throughout the year this committee hosts and help sponsor international trade shows and speakers. This committee meets once a month.

Procurement/Contracting and Small business Programing

Chair Michelle Word – mword@burnsmcd.com

The purpose of the procurement committee is to create business opportunities for members by connecting them with the resources, events and vendor opportunities available through local, regional and national business and government entities. This committee is also responsible for the creation and implementation of programming which benefits both the immigrant and existing business community. Input from members is welcomed. This committee meets once a month.

Legislative / Public Policy

Carlos Gomez – cgomez@hccgkc.com

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has taken an active role this year in advocating for the economic and business rights of Hispanic businesses at the local and state level. Additionally, several of the Hispanic Chamber’s Board members have been asked to serve on election campaigns and City boards and commissions. This committee works with local, state and regional policy makers to affect legislation that has an impact on Hispanic-owned and small business issues. The group also interacts with the USHCC and other chambers and business trade associates to collaborate on economic items that will benefit the entire business community locally. The committee meets once a month.

Marketing and Public Relations

Sharon Cruz & Liz Reyes -SCruz@KCSouthern.com, lizr@foleycompany.com

This committee is responsible for the marketing, advertising, branding and public relations for all Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s special events. They also work on the overall on-going advertising campaign. The committee meets periodically as the special event committees need support.

Corporate Council

Valerie Coyazo, Valerie.Coyazo@kcpl.com

The Corporate Council is designed to improve the Hispanic Chamber’s services and thus improve the Chamber as a whole. It is made up of the corporate partners that work together to advise the Chamber and its members. Meets quarterly.

Special Event Committees

Annual Awards Gala

Liz Reyes & Sharon Cruz –SCruz@KCSouthern.com,lizr@foleycompany.com
Each year the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hosts an Awards Gala recognizing business leaders and corporations that have provided exemplary support to the Hispanic business community in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The Gala attracts 800-900 people, including local and state politicians and corporate leaders. The Gala is the premier business event in the Hispanic community. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce chooses a keynote speaker to address the issues related to Hispanic business. This committee is responsible for the nomination and selection process of award recipients. The committee plans and develops the program theme, arranges for the keynote speaker, and the evening’s entertainment. This group meets June through November.

Fiesta Kansas City

Enrique Gutierrez & Paul Flores-egutierrez@teocali.com
Fiesta Kansas City, a Cinco de Mayo event, is one of the most celebrated and successful events of the year. The success of this event is largely due to the creativity and hard work of the many volunteers who get involved in this activity. Whether you would like a creative outlet or enjoy handling the behind-the scenes details, call to find out how you can get involved. This group meets January through May.

Golf Tournament

Liz Serpa-Flook- LizSerpaFlook@cordish.com
One of the area’s premier networking opportunities is our annual Golf Tournament, held each fall. This informal event is designed to promote the Chamber’s objective of developing opportunities for Hispanic business professionals and corporate partners to network, strengthen relationships and possibly aid them in building professional and personal relationships. Over 200 players, volunteers, and community supporters turn out for the Golf Tournament each year. The Golf Tournament concludes with a lunch, awards ceremony, and features representatives from local, state, and federal government.

The event is an annual fundraiser to help bring exposure to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and their mission to assist the rapidly-growing Hispanic business community. This year, the benefit is expected to attract more than 400 attendees consisting of a mix of young professionals, museum patrons and food lovers from around the metropolitan area.

The event is open to the public and will showcase entertainment from a variety of Latin musicians and performers, specialty cocktails and wine, Spanish cuisine and unique and interactive activities specially designed by the event committee to engage guests throughout the evening with ways to stamp their “passport” throughout the evening.

The evening also will include a silent and live auction featuring such items as vacations, Chiefs tickets, romantic getaways, restaurant certificates and more.

Arts Business Professionals

Chair Vania Soto- vaniasoto7@gmail.com

The mission for the Art Professionals Committee is to empower artist to see their art as a Brand

This program creates a catalyst that will lead our members to the art industry by providing mentorship, workshops for small business and development of entrepreneurship. It is a creative synergy between Art and Commerce.

Did you know…

The Hispanic market’s size, growing clout, and buying power of $1 trillion in 2010 and $1.5 trillion by 2015 require thoughtful understanding about what the market represents to a company’s bottom line

Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic segment expected to grow 167 percent from 2010 to 2050, compared to 42 percent for the total population

The U.S. population map shows continued growth in traditionally Hispanic areas and dramatic dispersal and new growth in areas where Hispanics were recently unknown

Hispanics are the largest immigrant group to exhibit significant culture sustainability and are not disappearing into the American melting pot.

If it were a standalone country, the U.S. Hispanic market buying power would make it one of the top twenty economies in the world.